Time Inc. Begins Offering Digital Magazine Subscriptions in Newsstand

As noted by AllThingsD, Apple and Time Inc. appear to have settled their long-running differences over digital magazine subscriptions, with Time launching iPad-only subscriptions for its magazines through Newsstand. According to a press release from Time, the offering addresses all 20 of its consumer magazines, which include Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time.

sports illustrated ipad subscriptions
Time was prepared to launch iPad subscriptions for Sports Illustrated two years ago, but Apple refused to allow Time to bill subscribers directly rather than going through the iTunes Store mechanism where Apple would keep 30% of the revenue and limit publisher access to subscriber information. As a result, iPad users were initially limited to purchasing titles on a single-issue basis.

Nearly a year later, Apple and Time reached an agreement to allow print subscribers to receive free access to the iPad editions of the publisher's major magazine titles. But digital-only subscriptions remained off the table even as other major publishers such as Hearst were accepting Apple's subscription terms and rolling out their own offerings.

AllThingsD notes that it is unclear what changed between Time and Apple to now allow full-fledged digital subscriptions, including whether Time simply relented or if it was able to obtain some concession from Apple.

It could be as simple as Time Inc. trying to boost sales, which haven’t been stellar recently — a slump at its People magazine title is particularly troublesome for the publisher. Or perhaps parent company Time Warner got some other concession from Apple for one of its other units, like HBO or Turner.

Digital subscription pricing for Time titles varies, but a flagship title like Sports Illustrated is being offered at a $3.99 monthly rate or a $38.99 annual rate, a significant discount from the $4.99 single-issue pricing for the weekly magazine.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

jonathanbruck Avatar
150 months ago
Newsstand

Am I one of the few that still doesn't use Newsstand?
I think the majority don't use it. I keep looking at iTunes o see if anything pops up that want to subscribe to, but its a lot of fringe/garbage magazines. I just don't understand why digital editions of newspapers & magazines cost as much as print when they have nowhere near the production and distribution cost.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rhett7660 Avatar
150 months ago
Am I one of the few that still doesn't use Newsstand?

Nope. I think there are a few who still don't. I have it for just a few magazines that are not offered via zinio. I like it, no complaints. Wish the prices were a little better than their printed version. But that is for another topic. :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple... Avatar
150 months ago
Am I one of the few that still doesn't use Newsstand?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CodexMonkey Avatar
150 months ago
Ummm, Apple is adding a 30% right off the top as a new cost. The magazine's business model is based upon getting 100% of the net price of the magazine. Yes, some of that 100% goes to printing & distribution but traditional printing & distribution delivery doesn't involve giving Apple 30%.

If, as a publisher, you publish a hardback or paperback novel priced at £9.99, Waterstones (as an example) will not pay a penny more than 50% of the cover price to buy it from you, And, in a lot of retail chains, including the larger franchises of newsagents, the same applies. Consequently, Time will get nowhere near 100% of the net price for a printed magazine, more like 50% (the newsagent pockets the rest), plus they STILL have to fund printing and distribution. Consequently, Apple only taking 30% starts to look very inviting indeed.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
150 months ago
Ummm, Apple is adding a 30% right off the top as a new cost. The magazine's business model is based upon getting 100% of the net price of the magazine. Yes, some of that 100% goes to printing & distribution but traditional printing & distribution delivery doesn't involve giving Apple 30%.

Or, another way to think about this: if Apple took 5% or 10% instead of 30%, the pricing offered to us could be cut by 20-25% and Apple could still make money being a digital distributor for these companies. 30% of gross is a LOT of new cost.

I'm pretty sure the real newsstands take the standard 30-40% retail markup....
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tiger8 Avatar
150 months ago
I was just wondering. The only magazine I read from time to time is Reader's Digest, but I get the print version of it in the mail.

I second that, I can still subscribe to most magazines for $6 a year (Details, Spin, Fast Company, GQ, etc...) and a little more for weekly ones, why would I pay 1000% more just to see it on my iPad?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
best buy snowflakes

Best Buy's New Weekend Sale Has Record Low Prices on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Friday December 8, 2023 7:37 am PST by
Best Buy's month-long holiday sale continues this weekend with multiple all-time low prices on Apple's line of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers. In addition to Apple notebooks, Best Buy's event has discounts sitewide on home appliances, TVs, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
beeper mini

Apple Puts a Stop to Beeper Mini's iMessage for Android Feature

Friday December 8, 2023 2:24 pm PST by
Apple appears to have closed the loophole that Beeper Mini used to bring iMessage to Android, putting a stop to blue bubbles from Android devices. Beeper Mini quit working earlier today, with users receiving "failed to lookup on server: lookup request timed out" error messages. Beeper said on Twitter that it is investigating the issue, but Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky told TechCrunch that "all ...
apple watch black friday

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hits New Record Low Price of $699, Alongside Series 9 and SE Sales

Friday December 8, 2023 8:55 am PST by
Amazon has a few big discounts on Apple Watch today, headlined by a new all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Many of these watches can be delivered by Christmas, with delivery dates around the middle of next week for most models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
maxresdefault

Review: Two Months With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday December 7, 2023 12:04 pm PST by
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and while most reviews are done shortly after a new device launches, we like to follow up with a longer term review that gives us an opportunity to provide a deeper dive into what it's like using these phones on a day to day basis for months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
iOS 17

35 Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2 Coming Next Week

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 35 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in mid-December. 1....